AI Ranked ten people most hurt by Man City’s alleged cheating
In a bright studio at Southampton Solent University, Action Images/ Jason Cairnduff Livepic Jake Pearce receives his award as the camera captures his grin. After the astonishing news broke last week that Manchester City had been found guilty of virtually all of the 115 financial fair play charges, the atmosphere feels charged with both celebration and controversy.
Student accolade and award
Jake Pearce is a final-year Sports Journalism student at Southampton Solent University. He recently won the Football Writers Association Male Student Football Writer of the Year award following a feature with former Crystal Palace player Danny Butterfield. The accolade recognises his investigative piece on the impact of financial regulations in the modern game.
Manchester City’s FFP fallout
The Premier League’s investigation covered nine years, from 2009 to 2018, a period when Manchester City dominated English football and prevented several clubs from securing silverware. Rival clubs have already begun assessing potential legal action to recover profits they could have earned, while some players and managers have gone public – some jokingly – to claim entitlement to extra trophies.
Whether delayed achievements will ever be recognised remains uncertain, but the fallout has sparked a wave of speculation across the league.
AI’s list of the most wronged
We asked ChatGPT to identify the ten people most disadvantaged by Manchester City’s alleged cheating, and the AI says I’m ranking the ten most hurt. The AI will give its reasoning for each selection, presenting a show of how the club’s spending may have altered careers.
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Jurgen Klopp does not feature because he never finished second in the Premier League with Liverpool between 2009 and 2018. Even if Manchester City were stripped of titles, Mikel Arteta’s men would still miss out on a trophy.
David de Gea, United’s goalkeeper during the extraordinarily close 2011/12 title race, accumulated 89 points – a total that would normally win the league. He has been vocal on social media, suggesting he could have multiple extra Premier League titles had City not broken the rules.
Sunderland lost the 2014 League Cup final 3–1 to Manchester City. Lee Cattermole appears on the list despite his modest profile, because that Wembley day would have meant a historic triumph for the Black Cats.
Tottenham finished second in 2016/17 with 86 points while Manchester City finished third on 78. Although City did not deprive Spurs of the title, its spending advantage potentially altered the race for Champions League places, a point highlighted by manager Pochettino.
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The USA national team coach surprisingly occupies the eighth spot, alongside Pochettino, who argued that Tottenham were robbed of Champions League qualification in 2014/15 when they finished fifth and Manchester City second.
The AI’s ranking provides a fact‑based perspective on how the alleged breaches may have reshaped careers and club fortunes, leaving fans to wonder whether any of the delayed honours will ever be restored.